Evaluating the design of retail financial service environments

Purpose — Effective retail environments are crucial for customer acquisition and retention. However, the environment behaviour relationship is complex and producing the ideal design is difficult. Whilst substantial research reports the affects of specific design components, studies investigating the impact of multiple store environment stimuli upon consumer perceptions, attitudes and behaviour are limited. Design/methodology/approach — The environment response model provides a conceptual framework for examining the impact of retail settings upon cognitive, affective and cognitive consumer responses. Its applicability is tested in retail banking environments. Research empirically links survey data to a design audit and reveals that more modern branch styles and features are statistically more likely to induce favourable customer reaction. Findings — Research empirically links survey data to a design audit and reveals that more modern branch styles and features are statistically more likely to induce favourable customer reaction. This finding in some ways helps justify expenditure on refurbishment. However, features having a positive impact in one respect may also be negative in another, highlighting the complexity of the environment behaviour relationship and the difficulties facing retail designers. Research limitations/implications — The limitations of this research is the relatively small branch sample size. Originality/value — Contributes to the literature on the impact of retail settings on consumer responses.